glossy

LONG BEACH, Calif., Oct. 13, 2009 – The ultimate companion in photo printing has arrived with the release of the affordable, portable Epson PictureMate® Charm. Offering the same impressive features and results as previous models in the renowned PictureMate line, including superior photo quality, economical print costs, long-lasting prints, and powerful image enhancement tools, PictureMate Charm is the ideal solution for printing and sharing cherished memories at home or on the go.

“Photo labs can be inconvenient and don’t always produce great results because they often sacrifice image quality in order to cut costs,” said Stacey Tieu, associate product manager, Consumer Ink Jets, Epson America Inc. “Epson’s PictureMate Charm is the best alternative because it delivers the features that are important to consumers – uncompromised quality and ultimate convenience – allowing them to print superior 4”x6” photos with true-to-life skin tones, amazing detail and sharpness in as fast as 37 seconds* whenever and where ever they want.”

Whether at home, at a party or traveling on vacation, PictureMate Charm consistently delivers durable, better-than-lab-quality prints that are smudge, scratch and water resistant. The beautiful, true-to-life prints last up to four times longer than traditional, film-processed photos, resisting fading up to 96 years under glass and over 200 years in dark album storage**.

In addition, PictureMate Charm offers easy, one-touch printing with or without a computer. It features a 2.5” LCD screen to view, crop and print photos, as well as remove red eye and select popular photo layouts and color tones such as black and white, sepia or color. PictureMate Charm also prints from all popular memory cards with built-in card slots***, and prints wirelessly from PDAs and digital camera cell phones with an optional Bluetooth® adapter****.

PictureMate Charm delivers affordable prints on glossy and matte paper with Epson’s PictureMate Print Packs, which include ink and either 150 sheets of 4”x6” glossy paper or 100 sheets of 4”x6” matte paper. In addition, an optional, rechargeable battery is available for maximum portability to print photos outdoors or on the road.

With its extreme versatility, PictureMate Charm is also a smart tool for many professional industries, including wedding photographers and medical or dental offices. Its high-quality photo output, long-lasting, durable ink, and ultimate portability allow photographers to instantly provide images to clients at events, while medical professionals can conveniently track a patient’s recovery through before-and-after photos without having to wait for them to be processed at a lab.

Pricing and Availability
PictureMate Charm ($149.99*) will be available on Oct. 20 through a variety of online retail stores and Epson’s retail site.

Incorporating revolutionary colour processing technology and UltraChrome™ Hi-Gloss2 Ink, the Epson Stylus Photo R1900 offers a new level of quality for photo enthusiasts, who demand the big picture.

03 October 2007 – The Epson Stylus Photo R1900 incorporates the latest developments from Epson to provide durable, superior quality, Hi-Definition photos up to A3+ on a wide range of media. It includes groundbreaking image processing algorithms to manage colour combinations and ensure beautiful prints. It also features a new formulation of Epson UltraChrome Hi-Gloss Ink technology. UltraChrome Hi-Gloss2 represents the evolution of photographic printing, offering a wider colour gamut, natural skin tones and consistent colour with a smooth gloss finish.

In addition to cyan, magenta and yellow inks, UltraChrome Hi-Gloss2 features matte black, photo black, red, orange and gloss optimiser. The new orange ink replaces the blue ink previously used with UltraChrome Hi-Gloss. It allows Epson to offer significant enhancements in colour reproduction for natural skin tones. Output also features more vivid oranges and an expansion in the red colour gamut. The magenta and yellow inks have been reformulated and contribute to accurate blue and green tones. The resin coating of the gloss optimiser and colour inks has been redesigned to create even smoother and glossier prints. The individual ink cartridges mean only the colour that is used needs to be replaced.

The eight-colour inkset featured in the Stylus Photo R1900 creates a staggering 18,446,774 trillion colour combinations. To calculate which combination should be used to deliver the tones and colours required for the images, Epson has developed new Look Up Table (LUT) technology in partnership with one of the world’s leading centres of colour science, the Munsell Color Science Laboratory of the Rochester Institute of Technology. In conjunction with the Micro Piezo™ print head the Epson LUT technology decides how much of each colour is used to translate a RGB source file into a print. The mathematical algorithm effectively optimises colour matching to ensure the printed image is consistent with the original photograph. The end result is prints with smooth gradations, reduced graininess, wide colour gamut and low colour inconstancy*; all of which combine to create clear and beautiful, Hi-Definition photographic images.

Other printing technologies in the Stylus Photo R1900 include Epson’s Variable-sized Droplet Technology. The smallest droplet of 1.5pl is used for areas where fine detail is required and bigger droplets where larger blocks of colour are needed.

The flexibility of the Stylus Photo R1900 is further enhanced with its increased media support. It will print onto glossy, matte and fine art paper in cut-sheet and roll format. It prints directly onto printable CD’s and DVD’s. For printing photos without a computer photographers can connect their digital camera or picture viewer using Pictbridge. The comprehensive software package includes Epson Print CD and Epson Creativity Suite including Epson Easy Photo Print, FileManager, Web to Page and Camera RAW Plug-in.

Mark Robinson, Senior Product Manager, Epson UK commented, “The new Epson Stylus Photo R1900 is a truly advanced printing system that is easy and fun to use. The extensive research and development required to develop Epson Micro Piezo inkjet printers and ink technologies is fully illustrated in the launch of the Stylus Photo R1900. The UltraChrome Hi-Gloss2 Ink works in harmony with the Epson LUT technology and Epson paper to deliver outstanding photo quality for sale, for display and for archiving.”

Epson Stylus Photo R1900 key features summary:

• Print Hi-Definition durable photos and album pages on various media up to A3+
• Achieve vivid colours and natural skin tones with Epson UltraChrome Hi-Gloss2 ink
• Advanced colour processing for smooth and accurate colours with Epson LUT technology
• Achieve a range of photo finishes with Epson glossy, matte and fine art papers in cut-sheet and roll format
• Personalise inkjet printable CDs and DVDs Prints are lightfast for 80 years** on Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper
• Borderless printing at a resolution up to 5760 x 1440dpi for stunning Hi-Definition photos
• Print photos on A3+ at 1440 x 720dpi (Photo Mode) in only 106 seconds***
• Efficient printing with individual ink cartridges, only replace the colour used
• Enhanced connectivity with Dual Port USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
• Bundled with sophisticated photo software including Camera RAW plug-in for Creativity Suite for fast, easy printing of camera RAW files
• Epson Stylus Photo R1900 RRP including VAT £399.99 – available November 2007

Press Release:

Canon U.S.A. Announces New Home Office Printer Powerhouse, The PIXMA MX892 Wireless Office All-In-One

Multiple Connectivity Options Make For Easy Printing of Important Documents When Needed

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., March 6, 2012 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the PIXMA MX892 Wireless1 Office All-In-One (AIO) printer as the flagship model in the award-winning family of Canon PIXMA office printers. Designed with the home office user in mind, this print, copy, scan and fax machine has a variety of connectivity options for easy printing of documents and images from the cloud and other compatible portable devices. The addition of this new model to the Canon PIXMA Office AIO printer lineup helps continue the tradition of providing users with high-quality results and versatility to help increase productivity.

Canon has designed the PIXMA MX892 Wireless Office AIO printer to help home-office users easily access and print materials through utilities such as Google Cloud Print2 and PIXMA Cloud Link. Google Cloud Print will enable Gmail messages, file attachments and select Google Docs to be sent to the printer for printing from any computer, tablet, or smart phone. For those registered with Google’s PicasaWeb Albums3, there is PIXMA Cloud Link so users can print photos directly from their online albums. The printer also provides direct access to a wide range of printable templates, such as stationary and calendars, so photographers can get creative with their images.

Adding to the printer’s connectivity options is the Canon Easy-PhotoPrint (EPP) mobile app, for use with compatible Apple and Android smart phones and tablets, where documents can be scanned on the printer and sent to the device. Users can also print PDFs of documents that were created with the app directly from these devices4. The Canon PIXMA MX892 Wireless Office AIO printer will also have 802.11n wireless capability allowing for a high-speed network transfer rate and easy sharing on a network. Setting up a wireless network for multiple users to quickly share information can be accomplished with the press of one button when using Wireless Protected Setup (WPS). An Ethernet port has also been included as an alternative when wireless is not available, allowing for a hard line connection for easy sharing with multiple users as well. Canon U.S.A. offers its award-winning service and support online for all of its users looking to set up any of the new wireless products at www.usa.canon.com/wirelesshelp. Here, customers have access to video tutorials and manuals to assist in setting up a wireless printer.

“With users increasingly utilizing the cloud to store important documents and images, it is imperative to provide an easy way for these materials to be printed easily when they are needed ,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A. “The variety of connectivity options supported by the PIXMA MX892 Office All-in-One printer allows the flexibility to do just that, and provides the users with the comfort of knowing that the end result will be high-quality.”

Productivity at its Best

The Canon PIXMA MX892 Wireless Office AIO printer utilizes the ChromaLife 100+ system5 with five individual ink tanks producing superb quality for presentations and memorable images at a maximum color resolution of 9600 x 2400 dpi6. When the latest task includes creating a family photo album, the printer allows you to easily view images on the 3-inch LCD screen and can generate a 4″ x 6″ borderless photo7 in approximately 20 seconds8. The scanner capabilities feature an incredible resolution of 2400 x 4800 dpi to help ensure the duplicate copy will be equivalent to the original. Further adding to the functionality of the machine, is the capacity to provide print output at approximately 12.5 images per minute (ipm) for black-and-white documents and approximately 9.3 ipm for color9.

A major concern for home office users is being able to scan oversized documents to be distributed at important meetings. With the Canon exposed user interface, scanning or copying of large sized documents can be accomplished without interfering with any buttons needed to perform a task. Further adding to productivity is the Dual Function Panel, which makes navigating through menus and functions a very smooth process. When switching between the fax function and either print, copy or scan functions, the keypad will switch from the standard numbers to a directional keypad thus making the printer look sleek, clean and easy to use.

The Canon PIXMA MX892 Wireless Office AIO printer comes with additional features which can help increase productivity and conserve paper usage. With Advanced Media Handling capabilities such as a 35 sheet Duplex Auto Document Feeder that allows for quick two-sided copying and scanning in addition to Auto Duplex printing, users can perform other tasks while the printer handles the bulk of the workload. The printer also has two paper feeds which can hold a maximum of 150 sheets of plain paper each, helping ensure paper will not run out unexpectedly while working. With the two paper feeds, there is the option to load one tray with standard paper and the other with specialty paper so the user will not have to re-load when changing types of print jobs and save time.

Let Creativity Shine Through

For those interested in customizing photos, Easy-PhotoPrint EX software is available for this feature-packed printer with a variety of fun filter effects such as Fish-Eye, Miniature, Toy Camera, Soft Focus and Blur Background. Full HD Movie Print10 software has also been included, producing clear images of frames from videos captured on compatible HD Canon EOS and PowerShot Digital cameras. An added bonus is exclusive printable content through CREATIVE PARK PREMIUM11. The content on this website includes family projects such as Eric Carle greeting cards and photo frames as well as calendars to keep track of important business meetings and appointments.

The Canon PIXMA MX892 Wireless Office AIO printer will have an estimated selling price of $199.9912.

Footnotes

BOEBLINGEN, Germany, September 26, 2006 – HP today announced it is changing the way graphics professionals create large-format images with the unveiling of the new HP Designjet Z2100 and Z3100 Series Photo Printers. Continuing to expand its professional printing portfolio, HP is leveraging its pigment ink technologies developed for the HP Photosmart Pro B9180 to create the first large-format printers employing HP’s Scalable Printing Technology.

The HP Designjet Z Series printers are designed to deliver intuitive, dependable and repeatable colour accuracy for 24- and 44-inch museum-quality prints with 200 years’ photo permanence.1
“The HP Designjet Z Series Photo Printers enable photographers, graphic designers and artists to print their vision accurately and consistently,” said Enrique Lores, vice president and general manager, Inkjet Commercial Division, HP. ”With our breakthrough colour management features, graphics professionals can now leverage a truly intuitive and automated printing process that expands both their business opportunities and their creative boundaries.”

Experience simple and intuitive colour management

The HP Designjet Z Series employs the industry’s first embedded spectrophotometer, utilising i1 Colour Technology from X-Rite. Mounted on the printer carriage with completely self-contained optics and electronics, the embedded spectrophotometer greatly simplifies accurate colour-matching, enabling automated ICC profiling and HP Advanced Closed-Loop Colour Calibration. The result means the user can create colour profiles in minutes rather than hours and expect exact colour matches throughout the printing process.

Leading brands in the creative community, including Adobe, Colourbyte, EFI, GMG and X-Rite, have worked closely with HP to develop solutions optimised specifically for the HP Designjet Z Series to fully address the needs of key markets, such as graphic design, professional photography, prepress and digital fine arts. From X-Rites’s i1 Colour Technology to the use of Adobe’s Lightroom calibration application, these solutions further streamline workflow and provide users a simple, reliable printing experience.

The HP Z Series Photo Printer colour management partner tools include:

• The embedded spectrophotometer, built on X-Rite’s leading i1 colour technology.
• HP’s Advanced Profiling Solution2 co-developed with X-Rite that provides additional options for profiling and calibration. Integrated with the HP embedded spectrophotometer, this solution includes a monitor calibrator and profiler with editing capabilities to offer an end-to-end colour-managed workflow.
• EFI’s RIP Designer Edition 5.12 developed with HP-specific inputs. New photo features and an improved user interface give graphic designers full control over digital proofing needs, saving users time and money.
• Imageprint v.6 photo RIP from Colourbyte and ColourProof v.4 prepress RIP from GMG, developed with HP-specific inputs. The Imageprint v.6 is optimised for use by prosumers and professional photographers. The ColourProof v.4 works directly with the embedded spectrophotometer for print verification, radically shortening workflow.
• The HP ProPrint Plug-in and the “Calibrate Printer” button in Adobe Lightroom, co-developed with Adobe. Print expected colours on the first try from Adobe Photoshop with the free HP ProPrint Plug-in, and use the Adobe Lightroom “Calibrate Printer” button to launch the colour management tools directly from within the application.

Create and customise ICC profiles with HP Advanced Profiling Solution

The HP Designjet Z2100 GP and HP Designjet Z3100 GP editions contain the HP Advanced Profiling Solution developed by HP and X-Rite (formerly GretagMacbeth). The HP Advanced Profiling Solution is an end-to-end colour management system developed specifically for the most demanding graphics professionals. It works seamlessly with the embedded spectrophotometer to easily create and edit ICC profiles, saving you the time and expense of outsourcing the ICC creation expertise. It also includes a screen calibration device powered by i1 technology.

• Create ICC profiles for specific lighting conditions (such as a gallery)
• Work with CMYK ICC profiles to preserve maximum colour consistency from digital proof to offset press
• Easily edit ICC profiles created for any HP or third-party media
• Make sure the colours on your screen are printed accurately and consistently – print after print – and on a wide range of different media.

New ink and media for exquisite museum quality that lasts 200 years1

The HP Designjet Z2100 features an eight-colour HP Vivera pigment ink system, including both matte black and photo black inks, providing a broad colour gamut on matte fine art papers and glossy photo papers for photographic and creative design applications.

The HP Designjet Z3100 uses a 12-ink HP Vivera pigment ink system, including the HP 70 Gloss Enhancer and HP Quad-Black Inks to create beautiful black and white prints and achieve truly neutral greys under different lighting conditions. This also provides continuous tones, uniform gloss and rich blacks, making the HP Designjet Z3100 ideal for high-quality art reproduction, photography and proofing applications.

Both models deliver the industry’s best photo permanence on a wide variety of HP media up to 24- or 44-inches wide.

“With the Z Series Printers, we have colour prints which are as good as, and in some cases, superior to traditional media and normal colour C-prints, and they’ll last for 200 years1. It’s a win-win situation for us,” said Thomas Hoepker, Magnum Photographers. “We have better colour, we have a wider gamut we have total control over it and we don’t have to send it out to a dark room specialist. We do it at home and we have this long lifespan.”

With the HP Designjet Z Series, graphics professionals have the ability to print beyond the limits of traditional papers using the widest range of media options on the market. With 36 new media offerings, users have the flexibility to choose from a vast range of media options within HP’s media portfolio.

Pricing and Availability3

HP Designjet Z2100 24-inch Photo Printer: €2,700, Available September 26, 2006
HP Designjet Z2100 GP 24-inch Photo Printer: €3,300, Available September 26, 2006
HP Designjet Z2100 44-inch Photo Printer: €5,700, Available September 26, 2006
HP Designjet Z3100 24-inch Photo Printer: €4,100, Available December 2006
HP Designjet Z3100 GP 24-inch Photo Printer: €4,800, Available December 2006
HP Designjet Z3100 44-inch Photo Printer: €6,900, Available December 2006

New Versatile Printing System Delivers Professional Quality Prints For Display Or Sale

ORLANDO, USA, February 27th, 2006 – HP today announced the launch of its new HP Photosmart Pro B9180 A3+ Photo Printer, designed specifically for professional photographers.

With eight, high capacity individual pigment-based HP Vivera Inks and enhanced media compatibility, this leading printing system allows photographers to be up to 30 percent more productive 1, helping them succeed in the increasingly competitive professional photography market.

Magnum photographer Carl Dekeyzer said, “There is no time wasted waiting around for proofs with the HP Photosmart Pro B9180. As well as demonstrating impressive print speeds, the new system delivers prints at an affordable cost per page. Finally, the outstanding image quality and the precise and consistent colours allow me to select those images that will be best suited to display or sell.”

Drawing on HP’s heritage in the graphics and commercial printing market this efficient, powerful new printer will produce high quality, instant dry, durable, waterproof prints that resist fading for up to 200 years, a new benchmark in photography. 2

The newly designed printing system features HP’s proprietary scalable printing technology for increased productivity, versatility and affordable cost per page, along with eight individual pigment ink cartridges, four two-colour printheads and a range of professional photo and fine art papers. The high-capacity ink cartridges allow professional photographers to print up to approximately 80 A3+ prints or 840 10 x15 cm photos 3. In addition, HP Pro print plug-in for Adobe Photoshop, and a host of ICC profiles in the printer software, deliver precise, predictable colour quality, print after print.

Professional quality papers

For photographers without large format printing facilities, producing A3+ prints that meet professional requirements is a challenge. Industry leading HP Advanced Photo Paper solves this problem. Featuring retail quality finishes, in glossy and satin-matt, customers will appreciate the durability of the thick, heavy paper. The paper’s instant dry porous coating allows immediate handling without smudging, helping to create a more productive and efficient studio.

Additionally, new A3+ HP digital fine art papers, based on HP’s professional large format media range, provide photographers with the materials needed to display their work in a gallery. Four types of papers – Watercolour, Aquarella Art, Smooth Fine Art and Artist Matte Canvas – provide professionals with greater choice when printing work for display.

Henry Wilhelm, Wilhelm Imaging Research Inc., (WIR) said, “With WIR Display Permanence Ratings of more than 200 years, prints made with the HP Photosmart Pro B9180 A3+ Photo Printer, Vivera pigment inks, and select HP glossy photo papers and matte fine art papers 4 set a new benchmark for overall colour print permanence. When displayed framed under glass, prints made with the new printer, inks, and papers are among the longest-lasting prints in the entire 130-year history of colour photography.

“To put this achievement in perspective, displayed prints made with the HP B9180 and Vivera pigment inks are five times more stable than the best of all current traditional dye-based silver halide colour prints, Fujicolor Crystal Archive prints (WIR rated at 40 years) — and more than ten times longer lasting than Kodak Edge Generations and Royal Generations prints (WIR rated at 19 years).”

Industry leading image quality with HP Vivera Inks

The eight high-capacity HP 38 Pigment Ink Cartridges, with new patented waterproof 5 HP Vivera inks, deliver durable life-like colour for professional portraits, landscapes, proofing and fine art prints. The new ink cartridges have been engineered to deliver consistent results with the HP Photosmart Pro B9180 A3+ Photo Printer.

In addition, the four HP 70 dual-colour printheads feature 8,448 nozzles for precise, consistent drop placement, enhanced colour accuracy and prints that will more closely represent the image seen through the lens and on the PC.

HP’s third generation grey ink creates colour as well as black and white prints with smooth transitions from one shade to the next, and subtle neutral tones that are consistent and controlled. Photographers can select from the two types of black inks: photo black for high contrast black and white photos with deep, rich blacks, or matte black for printing onto HP’s range of fine art papers.

For enhanced productivity, photographers can individually replace the printheads and single ink cartridges, which are available in 27ml sizes as required. This will help small studios keep costs in line with usage. For convenience, ink and media supplies can be ordered online at www.hp.com/eur/hpoptions. 6

Professional performance and versatility

The HP Photosmart Pro B9180 A3+ Photo Printer delivers ICC profiling options for perfect colour reproduction on a variety of standard and specialised media. Professional photos will look just as they did through the lens or on the calibrated monitor, with precision colour consistency for the highest quality prints, colour control and accurate photo proofs available for a variety of HP and non-HP media as well as digital fine art paper.

Photographers can immediately print their photos and proofs with HP’s fast, professional printing technology without having to rely on a photo lab. Proofs can be printed in less than 2 minutes for A3+ prints and less than ten seconds for 10x15cm prints, a new speed benchmark 7. The printer is perfectly suited to master the most challenging photo printing tasks as well as the everyday printing of documents.

PC, Mac or mixed environments requiring multiple connectivity options can utilise the USB-high speed and Ethernet networking capabilities. Software tools include Adobe Photoshop plug-in and optional raster image processor (RIP) software for professional colour management.

“Designed for professional photographers, the new HP Photosmart Pro B9180 A3+ Photo Printer and co-designed supplies, will help studios meet customer demands for high quality prints,” said Michael Diehl, vice president, Digital Photography and Entertainment, HP IPG EMEA. “The new printing system will also provide any photographer who is serious about photography with the tools to realise their artistic vision.”

Best Digital Photo Products in Europe

Best D-SLR Entry Level: Canon EOS 350D

With its CMOS 8.2MP sensor and Digic II image-processor, the Canon EOS 350D is the most compact and powerful digital SLR camera on the market, and comes with a very attractive price-tag. While being easy to use, it also incorporates the latest technology employed by high-end models in the Canon professional range. It can be used either on its fully automatic setting, or with complete manual control of shutter speed, aperture and ISO settings, thus allowing newcomers to develop their photographic skills. The EOS 350D is compatible with all Canon EF and EF-S lenses, giving an unparalleled choice of optics for the discerning user.

Best D-SLR Midrange: Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro

This third entry from Fujifilm in the domain of the digital SLR is certainly the best yet. While retaining the Nikon F-mount and the handling of the Nikon F80 film SLR, the FinePix S3 Pro offers a new Super CCD SR II sensor, with a total of 12.34 million pixels. This is made up of 6.17 million ‘S’ pixels and 6.17 millio ’R’ pixels, which combine uniquely to produce images with an extended dynamic range offering outstanding highlight detail. Being half the weight of high-end professional
digital SLRs, the FinePix S3 Pro is a very competitive option for studio, location or still-life shooting.

Best D-SLR Professional: Canon EOS-1 DS Mark II

The real sensation of the year, this EOS 1Ds Mark II has pushed digital photography to a new level, by creating image files up to 16.7 MP. This amazing output not only enables print-sizes up to 60x90cm, but also ensures that professionals can safely crop images without the fear of losing quality. In addition to the awesome file sizes, its 24x36mm CMOS sensor is a true full-frame, so keeps the focal lengths of lenses exactly equivalent to those of 35mm film SLRs. This is a huge
advantage to users of wide-angle lenses, and the large viewfinder image that results gives professional photographers the clarity they need for critical composition and focusing. The image processing is also second-to-none, and offers excellent detail at high sensitivity, up to at least ISO 800.

Best D-Ultra Compact Camera: Sony Cyber-shot T7

Despite its small size, this ingenious camera boasts any distinctive features, such as the 3X optical ‘folding’ Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar zoom lens. Another important feature is the anti-reflection Clear Photo LCD, which enhances viewing quality by preventing reflected light from interfering with the displayed image. For this combination of innovative design and powerful features, the TIPA jury awarded Sony the ‘Best Digital Ultra Compact Camera 2005’ Award.

Best D-Compact Camera: Nikon Coolpix 7900

The Nikon Coolpix 7900 incorporates several new features which make it the ‘Best Digital Compact Camera 2005’. The DLighting function adds light and detail to dark areas of shots, while leaving brighter areas unaffected. The In-Camera Red-Eye Fix function automatically detects and corrects red-eye in flash photos. The most innovative new function is Face- priority AF, which can automatically sense the presence of a human face in the frame and sets accurate focus accord ingly.

Best D-Superzoom Camera: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 incorporates an impressive 12x optical zoom (equivalent to 36432mm on a 35mm film camera) with a fast, f/2.8 aperture right through the range. The combination of three aspherical lenses and one ED lens generates high optical performance while preserving the compact size. Thanks to the effective optical image stabilizer, the full zoom range can be used even for hand-held shots, making this camera a great photographic tool.

Best Consumer Lens: Tamron AF18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro

The Tamron AF18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro provides the photographer using an APS-sized sensor D-SLR camera with the versatility of a true wide to ultra-tele zoom in an amazingly compact design. The lens features an entirely new optical system using XR (Extra Refractive Index) glass to optimize the optical quality throughout the entire zoom range. This design reduces aberrations to a minimum and makes this lens the ‘Best Lens 2005’ winner.

Best Professional Lens: AF-S VR Nikkor 200mm f/2G IF-ED

This new ultra-sensitive long-focal length lens represents the new standard of today’s optical technology. The 13 lens elements are stacked in 9 groups and produce a remarkable sharpness at the widest aperture of f/2, while at f/5.6 the results are exceptional. The AF-S system’s internal motor provides fast, accurate and silent focusing, and the Vibration Reduction (VR) technology offers an optical stabilizer which allows slower shutter speeds when hand-holding. With a Nikon digital SLR, the lens gives the equivalent of a 300mm f/2, which is perfect for sport and wildlife shooting in low-light conditions.

Best Prestige Camera: Epson R-D1

The Epson R-D1 is the world’s first digital rangefinder camera. It is a state-of-the-art digital camera that offers outstanding performance and image quality, yet comes in a guise that offers the traditionalist the look, feel and handling of a classic film camera. With a superb blend of classic analogue features and modern digital technology, the R-D1 is a Prestige Camera that gives twenty-first century photographers a way to use the famous Leica lenses from our photographic heritage.

Best Digital Camera Back: Sinarback eMotion22

The new Sinarback fulfills the wishes of many professional photographers who demand the finest quality in digital photography combined with mobility. The digital camera back for both medium format and field cameras features a 22-megapixel 48x36mm size CCD-sensor, 2.2-inch-OLED-Display, CF card based storage plus 3GB internal memory and a Li-Ion battery pack. Sinar´s wireless solution for location and studio photographers delivers shooting speeds up to 50 images
per minute, and the supplied software allows efficient processing of RAW files. The new Sinarback eMotion22 offers a true alternative to high-end SLR camera systems for professionals who prefer to take advantage of larger formats.

Best Film Scanner: Konica Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 II

The new Konica Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 II combines the best of propriety technologies from both Konica and Minolta. It improves colour reproduction of negative film scans with a new Film Expert Algorithm developed with photofinishing technology. In addition, this scanner features 16-bit A/D conversion, Digital ICE4 and Pixel Polish for automatic, high quality image corrections. The result is a ‘Best Film Scanner 2005’ winner, that provides the image quality photo enthusiasts and professionals demand.

Best Flatbed Scanner: Epson Perfection 4990 Photo

The Epson Perfection 4990 Photo is the ideal scanner for the professional photographer and enthusiast. It handles all standard film and photo formats, restores torn or damaged originals and delivers stunning quality scans, thanks to its 4800×9600 ppi resolution and 4.0 DMax optical density. Digital ICE ensures fast scanning without the need of labour-intensive dust or scratches removal in software, making this scanner a powerful tool and a clear winner of the 2005 ‘Best
Flatbed Scanner’ Award.

Best Small Format Printer: Hewlett Packard Photosmart 375

Small format printers are becoming increasingly popular for quick and easy prints from digital cameras. The Hewlett Packard Photosmart 375 is easy to use and delivers lab-quality, borderless 10x15cm prints in as little as 60 seconds. Photos can be previewed, selected and edited from the tilting 2.5-inch colour LCD, making a computer connection unnecessary. Built in memory card slots, PictBridge support and an optional Bluetooth Wireless adapter make this printer a ‘portable
minilab’.

Best A4 Photo Printer: Canon Pixma iP8500

The Canon Pixma iP8500 puts unprecedented image quality and speed in the hands of photographic professionals and enthusiasts. This printer makes a full A4 photo in just 35 seconds, while still delivering superb quality. Canon’s 8-ink ChromaPLUS photo system, which includes additional red and green ink, expands the printer’s colour gamut significantly, particularly in the yellow-to-red and green hues. The Pixma iP8500 supports PictBridge, direct CD/DVD printing and has a duplex unit for easy two-sided printing.

Best A3 Photo Printer: Epson Stylus Photo R1800

The Epson R1800 ink-jet printer is highly significant for photographers because it combines the long durability of pigment-based inks while offering the possibility of a true, glossy finish. This is achieved with an extra ‘ink’ that performs as a varnish and does away with the bronzing effect that is all too common in pigment-based glossy prints. With its fast printing times and Super A3 output, the Epson R1800 is a superb printing solution for photographers, and a worthy winner
of the ‘Best A3 Photo Printer’.

Best Fine Art Inkjet Paper: Hahnemühle Digital FineArt Collection

The Hahnemühle paper mill has been producing high-quality, mould made artists’ papers for hundreds of years, and all Hahnemühle papers are produced in accordance with DIN6738 and ISO9706 specifications for archive grade paper. The Hahnemühle top line of fine art papers is the Digital FineArt Collection, consisting of heavyweight papers with a coating suitable for both dye-based and pigment-based inkjet inks. This means that they are among the few that work well with pigment-based archival colour and quadtone ink sets.

Best Inkjet Photo Paper: Ferrania OptiJet Professional Plus

Glossy porous inkjet paper, while desirable for its instant drying and water-fastness, has a notorious stability problem. Its porous surface allows ozone to penetrate and react with dye-based inks. This phenomenon, known as gas fading, can cause inkjet prints to lose their colour density in as little as six months. The use of Ferrania PerDura technology prevents this problem by introducing a chemical protection. This enhances the permanence of the printed image on Ferrania OptiJet Professional Plus paper to an exceptional level.

Best Color Management System: GretagMacbeth Eye-One Photo Series

Color management is a major issue for digital photography, but in the past, the complexity and expense has prevented many professionals from developing a true understanding of the subject. With the modular Eye-One product line, Gretag-Macbeth has changed this problem. The Eye-One Display2 colorimeter offers an affordable, entry-level solution for calibrating both TFT and CRT monitors, and the advanced Eye-One Photo package comes with a spectrophotometer device
for both emissive (monitors) and reflective (print) measuring. This allows photographers to use ICC-based profiling for monitors, scanners, printers and digital cameras. The Eye-One Match software for Mac and PC combines easy-of-use and sophisticated functionality.

Best Imaging Storage media: SanDisk Extreme III

New camera generations raise the demand for new forms of storage media and the SanDisk Extreme III memory card range doubles the speed of the previous incarnation. It is powered by the ESP Technology (Enhanced Super Parallel Processing Technology) and enables transfer rates up to 20MB/s between camera and CF card, thus accelerating storage and viewing of digital photos with high-end, professional digital cameras. Their performance and rugged build make the San-Disk Extreme Level III memory cards – available with capacities up to 4 GB – a reliable choice for digital photo professionals. Extreme Level III technology is available for CompactFlash (CF), SD and Memory Stick PRO type memory cards.

Best Imaging Storage Back-up: Epson P-2000

The Epson P-2000 Multimedia Storage Viewer is a versatile device for backing up and viewing digital photos, as well as video and audio files. The internal 40GB hard drive offers plenty of space to back up files from CompactFlash and SD memory cards via the built-in slots, though there is also a USB 2.0 interface to enable the P-2000 to function as an external hard drive on PC and Mac platforms. The high resolution 3.8-inch Photo Fine display delivers crisp images, which can simply be magnified and navigated through to check detail and sharpness. In addition to JPEG images up to 17.8 Megapixel, the Epson P-2000 accepts RAW files from various digital cameras, and offers a compact design and intuitive user interface.

Best Photo Software: Adobe Photoshop CS2

Adobe Photoshop continues to lead as the uncontested image editing software of choice for professional photographers. Version CS2 adds many welcome additions, such as a much improved multi-image RAW converter, the amazing ‘Vanishing Point’ perspective cloning, image warp, colour fringing and lens aberration correction, and advanced noise reduction. HDR support makes it possible to combine multiple exposures into a single, 32-bit image with expanded range, preserving details from the deepest shadows to the brightest highlights.

Best Mobile Imaging Device: Sony Ericsson K750i

Cameraphones have the potential to become the entry-level digital cameras of the future, but so far their image quality has been disappointing at best. With the latest models introduced in Europe stepping into the 2MP class, this is changing rapidly. The Sony Ericsson K750i is a prime example of such a new generation. It combines an MP3-player with a 4.8mm f/2.8 autofocus 4X digital zoom lens, red-eye reduction function, image editing and a photo album. It delivers good minilab quality pictures up to 10x15cm print size. Using the optional Memory Stick Duo up to 2GB it can store approximately 6000 photos in its photo album. Pictures can be shared also by Bluetooth, infrared or USB.

Best Innovative Design: Olympus µ-mini Digital S

Underlying the µ-mini’s distinctive shape and form is a highly developed 5MP digital camera. Designed by Daisuke Tainake, its metal body is an ergonomic delight, and it comes in a choice of three striking colours – Lagoon blue, Enamel Black and Champagne. The large HyperCristal 1.8 inch LCD screen shows crisp images even from 160° viewing angles, and at just 115g, it is a sound choice for people who like to travel light. The Weatherproof case resists splashes and showers, and is a bonus for those who love the great outdoors. Editing features include fish-eye and soft-focus effects, and on top of 14 scene modes, the µ-mini Digital S offers movie recording with sound. Unsurprisingly, this feature set makes the µ-mini the Best Innovative Design award of 2005.

Best Technology: Picture Archiving and Sharing Standard (PASS)

The fast changing standards of digital photography are responsible for the rapid improvement of image quality, but at the same time have put digital pictures at risk. Future supports and platforms may not talk with current CD, DVDs and other media, as a result billions of images could be lost forever. Last year, three photo companies – Konica Minolta, Fuji Photo Film and Eastman Kodak – announced an agreement to jointly develop a set of open storage standards aimed at
the preservation of digital pictures and videos. The intention was to enable digital file compatibility with future playback devices. As pictures are so vitally important for historical, cultural and personal reasons, the TIPA jury considered that PASS deserved a special recognition.

Best Monitor: EIZO ColorEdge CG220